


Artificing Truths

by frozenCinders



Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M, Mirror Sex, Vampire AU, anyway stan obikabu, it takes a long time to get there though, this got so fucking out of hand
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:29:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27660713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frozenCinders/pseuds/frozenCinders
Summary: "Simple. I know you're not Madara Uchiha."When Obito asked Kabuto why he'd suddenly come to see him, that was the first thing he said to him."And in fact, you're not even a vampire," was the second.
Relationships: Uchiha Obito/Yakushi Kabuto
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Artificing Truths

**Author's Note:**

> hi i have problems

Attempting to argue with Kabuto when he somehow already knows Obito's two major secrets is obviously futile. What he wants to know is what Kabuto thinks to gain by approaching him like this, so he lets him speak.

"Conversion doesn't always work, and it'll typically kill the person if it fails... Really, it's no wonder you haven't turned. But..."

But what? It's pathetic for a human to be impersonating a vampire lord? Obito must seem like he has some pretty serious delusions of grandeur, but even though he's been seen through, he still can't share the real story between him and Madara.

"I devised a nonlethal method for my late master, with the only drawback being that it has an even lower success rate," Kabuto says. "Although, you might have to sacrifice a bit of pride while you're at it... and you'll have to put a lot of trust in me."

"What does pride have to do with this?" Obito asks, tone suspicious. He already has an inkling.

Kabuto smiles, the shadow of his hood making no attempt to hide it.

"You'll have to let me bite you."

"Of course. You exchange blood at the same time. That method only works in fiction. In reality, losing blood only makes you more likely to die from a vampire's blood entering your system," Obito states, having done more than his share of research.

It would be extremely convenient for him to actually _be_ a vampire considering he is supposed to be taking up Madara's mantle, not to even mention the Uchiha history with vampirism in general, but he simply has a weak blood type. The risks are too high for him, and for such an arbitrary reason.

"That's only if you're being bitten by your average vampire. Lord Orochimaru had a certain venom in his fangs that worked to keep his victims alive. It was quite tedious to apply that venom when I turned myself, seeing as he wasn't alive to bite me. But... I did end up inheriting that venom."

As long as it's Orochimaru, it's likely to be true no matter how impossible a concept may seem.

"But wait," Obito realizes, "you said you "devised a method". How did you devise anything if it was just venom?"

"Lord Orochimaru wasn't born with that venom. It took a lot of work to give it to him in the first place, and even more to make his body produce it permanently."

He doesn't know very much about Kabuto, but he is aware that he's a medical specialist, and that he often mixed original concoctions for Orochimaru-- both for the man himself to ingest and to use on his many test subjects.

The chances of him telling the truth only seem to rise.

"By the way, I was able to see through your facade because I'd supplied another Uchiha with a similar drug to suppress his human scent before he turned," Kabuto says. "Of course, I made it myself."

"I see. Here I was assuming you were somehow around to witness me shedding blood..."

"Normally, that would be the only indicator. No drug is strong enough to hide the odor of fresh blood from a vampire. Although..." He steps closer, inherently dangerous, but Obito unflinchingly allows him to approach. "I wonder if I could still smell your blood through your skin if I get close enough."

This is inconvenient, actually. Even if Kabuto is telling the truth and does manage to turn him, he'll more than likely take on Orochimaru's unique brand of vampirism-- the serpentine kind. Kabuto is just as much of a serpent as he is a man now, what with the giant snake serving as some sort of tail that he doesn't even bother to hide. If something like that happens to Obito, he doesn't know how the hell he's supposed to explain it.

"One query," he says, stopping Kabuto in his tracks.

"Yes?"

"When Orochimaru converted people while he was alive, did they... take on traits like his?"

Kabuto chuckles at that.

"No, I... I went the extra mile. You won't grow scales, if that's what you're worried about," he assures him with ease.

"Good. Now the only thing left to do is decide whether or not I trust a single thing you've said to me."

"I could demonstrate on someone else," Kabuto offers. "Though, like I said, the success rate is lower, so it might take a while to work."

"Why is it lower, anyway?" Obito asks.

"The venom reinforces the human's immune system so they won't die as easily from the vampire blood... but it also enables their body to fight that intrusion. More often than not, the vampire blood is beaten back. Of course, lord Orochimaru's victims were often... permanent guests, to say the least, so it wasn't a big deal."

Obito has heard of some people surviving failed conversions even without that venom in effect, so his explanation makes sense.

"If you'd like me to spill every secret I know, I could make you trust me even less right now," Kabuto says with some amusement. "The venom isn't automatic. I could just bite you for fun and let my blood destroy you. O+, right? Otherwise I'm sure you would have tried to convert by now."

"I suppose I'll be needing some form of leverage against you, then," Obito surmises.

"Hm. That, or I could decide to blackmail you with my information."

"You wouldn't dare..."

"I could tell the whole world you're not actually Madara, that he's as dead as they know him to be. After all, even if I hadn't seen through your suppressant... I've found the real Madara's corpse, you see."

"You've--?!"

"I'll admit it, I do like to play with bodies a bit. Necromancy has always been somewhat of an interest of mine. I could only do a poor imitation at first, but now with lord Orochimaru's blood..."

Of course. Orochimaru was rumored to have been skilled in necromancy, and Kabuto probably improved upon whatever dark magic the dead bastard used.

"In short, you shouldn't be trying to get leverage over me as much as you should be convincing me not to destroy you," Kabuto warns.

Obito thinks hard for a moment. What he comes up with is a blow to his pride indeed.

"... I do hear that Uchihas have especially sweet blood," he says, the suggestion beneath his words obvious. He was told when he was younger that vampires are so prevelant in his family because they're especially likely to be fixated on by other vampires if they don't convert early.

"Oh, you actually are one?" Kabuto muses with something like mocking surprise. "No wonder you're trying to inherit his name."

"First, you'll demonstrate the conversion on someone else. I'll bring the human to you myself if you need me to."

"That would be convenient, yes," Kabuto agrees. "I have no problem with showing it to you. Though, I don't believe I've said--"

"Even if it turns out to be a lie, I'll let you bite me. How's that?"

That smile of his makes its return.

"That's very nice. Alright, I'll visit you tomorrow and expect to see a live human with you."

"No need. I'll get it done tonight."

"Eager, are we? All the better, then. Just don't overextend yourself in your haste," Kabuto warns, his tone nothing but taunting.

* * *

"It won't be so bad, really. People like to make up a lot of myths about vampires..."

Why bother wasting his breath on reassuring this stranger? Maybe he has too much experience as the doctor of a man who would have killed him without a second thought if he said anything wrong.

"Plus, you'll become powerful. Wouldn't you like to be able to protect the people you care about? I'm not even planning to keep you as a thrall, I'm only attempting to show a demonstration here."

That seems to convince the woman Obito captured, and her breathing evens out. Though it's not like she has much of a choice anyway, she nods.

"Oh, good," Kabuto says with faintest smile.

Soon after he bites the woman, he takes out a small pocket knife and slices the side of his hand. He pulls away, blood still pouring from the woman's neck, and holds his hand over the wound. She seems to feel the blood entering her system, based on the change in her muffled screams.

She gets her volume under control before her body, holding back grunts of pain even as she continues lightly convulsing. Kabuto stands, tilting his head as he waits to see the result. The woman's shoulders begin fidgeting, and then gargoyle-like wings emerge from her back. With the thumbs on the joints of the wings, she pulls aside both the gag and the blindfold, and affixes Kabuto with a newly red glare.

"Get the hell away from me," she growls. Kabuto steps back, having had no interest in her to start with, and watches passively as she tears through her restraints.

Perhaps as thanks for gifting her with this new power, she doesn't attack either one of them as she makes her exit, wings sinking into her back as she walks away.

"I'm impressed. It almost never works on the first try. Well, I guess I must have gotten lucky. Come to think of it, a failure would have actually been more reassuring, no?"

Indeed; Obito still has no proof that this method is any more survivable than simply drinking any old vampire's blood. But...

"I believe we had an agreement," he reminds himself aloud. "I'm ready to live up to my own lie."

"Are we doing it now, since you're so impatient?"

"Absolutely."

He ignores Kabuto's insufferable little chuckle as he tugs at his collar. Now that he thinks about it, it'd be more convenient to remove the entire shirt. Kabuto doesn't strike him as a messy eater in particular, but even he left that woman drenched in blood.

Kabuto starts talking while Obito sees about taking his shirt off.

"You'll know for sure when I use the venom. It's a deep, throbbing ache that feels like ice, and it spreads a good ways from the entry wound. You won't hurt all over, but the pain will extend to the surrounding area," he explains, sounding quite like the doctor he's meant to be. Obito feels like he's about to go in for surgery.

"I have a high pain tolerance. I'm sure I'll be fine," Obito says.

"Well, that's a little disappointing."

Still, his pulse can't help but pick up when Kabuto approaches him.

"Don't wanna take that mask off?"

Does he... want him to?

"Why should I? I see no necessity," Obito says.

"Come on. I already know you're not who you say you are. Why bother hiding from me? ... For that matter, I suppose I don't even know your name."

"If Madara is so unacceptable for you, you can call me Tobi. It doesn't matter either way."

Kabuto says nothing, but Obito detects a slight frown on his face.

"Unbearably curious, are you?" Obito taunts, having no intention to alleviate that curiosity.

"Please. I wouldn't say unbearable."

He keeps getting closer. He's supposed to, Obito knows, but he never usually lets anybody get this close. He never has cold hands on his bare shoulders, never has someone else's breath on his neck.

"Ah... I actually can smell your blood from here," Kabuto idly notes.

The anticipation has him tense, and Kabuto's refusal to get on with it has him getting frustrated.

"Wouldn't you like to taste it already? Go on," he urges, keeping his impatience out of his voice.

"Well, if you're going to be so gracious..."

He saw it coming from a mile away, yet still the bite surprises him. It hurts more than he expected, but it doesn't feel cold yet. Kabuto's hands fall and his arms wrap around Obito in a mock hug as he drinks his fill.

Just as Obito is about to say something, his blood runs cold and every cell in his body feels like it's rushing in a panic. The enhanced pain spreads quickly from the puncture wound, not alleviated at all by Kabuto pulling his fangs out.

Obito's hand raises as far up as his collarbone, fingers curled but not closed, and he has to resist the urge to cover up the wound. It feels like it's pulsing, cramping, stabbing, aching. Kabuto tears the cut on his hand a little further open with his fangs and, despite the overwhelming pain, still manages to shock Obito with cold fingers brushing his jaw. He feels the difference when the blood gets into his bite, an immediate reaction taking place. He's kept his voice under wraps up to now, gritting his teeth and panting harshly, but...

"Rrgh..!"

He _really_ doesn't want to give Kabuto the satisfaction of vocalizing his pain, but it really does hurt like a motherfucker.

His vision starts getting spotty and his own breathing starts sounding muffled in his ears, and he realizes he's beginning to black out. What he doesn't realize is that he's lost his footing-- not until he's braced by a chilly arm that he instinctively wants to yank away from, had he any balance with which to do so.

"No point in standing during this, really. Here, sit."

He's so disoriented that he can't tell where Kabuto's voice is even coming from, but his vision coyly flits back in pieces and he sees that the ground is a lot closer than it had been. Obito allows his weight to rest on his knees, one hand bracing on the ground while his other arm pushes at Kabuto's chest. He's starting to power through the pain, but...

"Your eyes are still black," Kabuto tells him. "I believe we have a failure on our hands... Well, two in a row was never going to happen."

As he says, Obito doesn't feel any different from before, aside from being completely drained of energy. He can't tell if that's just what vampire bites leave one feeling like, or if it's the entire ordeal he just went through that sucked the energy out of him.

"... I have to do that again," he realizes aloud, horror hidden from his voice but very much present in his mind. "Fuck."

"Yes, but not any time soon. You need to rest first."

"Tomorrow," Obito says, but he already knows that's not happening. Kabuto scoffs.

"If you feel up to it by then, sure. You won't, though."

Kabuto seems rather patient. Obito guesses he had to be in order to serve so closely under Orochimaru. The creature had been fickle and terrible, after all.

"Rather than this dreary cave, why don't we do this at your home next time?" Kabuto suggests. "Easier access to your bed, that way."

He's probably only saying it because doing so would benefit him in some way, but Obito just numbly nods. He's definitely not making it home any time soon, after all.

* * *

The first visit Kabuto takes to Obito's home isn't exactly graceful for the latter. He'd followed Obito without his knowledge to ascertain where he lives and then proceeded to take it upon himself to show up without being invited. When he arrives at Obito's shitty little cottage in the middle of nowhere, it just so happens to be while he's eating.

Luckily, Kabuto has the decency to knock, so Obito has time to put his mask on. Not that hiding his identity from Kabuto has any meaning at this point. He expects Kabuto to insult his house with the way he's just silently looking around, both heads and all. Does that snake have a mind of its own?

"There's nothing you can say that I don't think to myself on a regular basis," Obito says to cut him off at the pass.

"Actually, I like it."

"... Ah. Prove me wrong, why don't you?"

Kabuto chuckles at that.

"Makes sense that you didn't take me here of your own will, if you're embarrassed by it," he comments.

"Oh please. I'm not tortured over it, I assure you."

"Is your energy back yet?" Kabuto asks, cutting to the point.

"I see. You must be hungry."

"I can feed elsewhere. I thought we agreed I'd turn you? Unless, of course, you've lost interest..."

Obito sighs and leads Kabuto to one of the only two other rooms.

"Take care not to get blood on the bed," Obito requests, pulling his shirt off with his back turned to Kabuto.

"This'll be the third. Just so you know, I've seen it take up to ten tries before," Kabuto warns him.

"We'll do this a hundred times if that's what it takes," Obito says. His answer seems to amuse Kabuto.

* * *

"You know, I'd be curious to see your expression while your body fights being converted..." Kabuto says.

They've been on a schedule of one attempt every other week, with the occasional shuffling of the schedule when Obito just isn't feeling strong enough to take it. They've tried five times already, but he somehow never ended up dreading it after the second time.

"Anxious?" Kabuto asks. "Not like I can see."

"If I take my mask off, will you stop complaining already?"

"Oh, absolutely."

Obito sighs. It's a pain in the ass to fall asleep with his mask on anyway, and he never has the energy to take it off after the fact. So, he finally relents, pulling it up and off of his head, the band ruffling his hair along the way.

"Ah, so that's why... Wonder what caused that," Kabuto comments, ogling the scars on the right side of his face.

Tactless. That, or just teasing him, he supposes.

"Anyway, I haven't been anxious about being bitten for a while," Obito says to answer a question he knows was rhetorical. "It's almost like I forget how much I hate it."

"Oh, did I not mention?"

Kabuto's voice and his smile are mischievous. Obito feels as if he's made a grievous error of some kind.

"To humans, the venom is strongly addictive."

Fuck. That explains it. Every time Kabuto opens his mouth, Obito can't help but try to look at his fangs. He subconsciously convinces himself that the last bite wasn't so painful, that the next one won't even hurt, no matter how many times he's proven wrong. Most shamefully of all, he's come to actually feel _proud_ of the bite marks littering his neck, though he'd sooner die than admit it.

"You've conditioned me to want to be your prey, I see. Very clever," Obito hisses with a subdued venom of his own.

"Oh, no, conditioning implies a psychological effect. Really, it's just chemically addicting. Once you turn, you won't have that problem anymore. Although..."

Once he turns, Kabuto won't be able to snack on him anymore. He doesn't bother saying it, but Obito knows that's what he's thinking.

"Don't tell me my blood is addictive too?" Obito says, more a bitter joke through gritted teeth than a legitimate concern.

"Oh, absolutely. Be careful not to tempt me, or I might stop trying to turn you entirely. In fact, if I go about a month without biting you, you'll get to experience the withdrawal effects. Would you like to find out what they are?"

"Trying to stop me from running away now?"

"Well, it'd be inconvenient for me if you did. Just thought I'd give you incentive to stay."

He states everything so plainly, so matter-of-factly, yet there's just enough casual mischief in his voice to make him absurdly difficult to trust. Obito thinks he hasn't heard a single lie out of Kabuto, but he for some reason refuses to sound like he's telling the truth. A bit too playful, that one.

"What is your goal with all this, anyway? Why do you humor me with these attempts?" Obito can't help but ask.

"You really wanna know my goal?" He pulls Obito close to him, fangs hovering over a neck that's already been bitten so many times. "I want you falling all over me. I want you to _want_ to be controlled by me. Then, when you turn, I want us to at the very least have some kind of alliance."

So bluntly truthful. Obito actually appreciates it somewhat.

"You said I won't be addicted anymore once I turn..." Obito reminds him.

"Yes, but that's only as far the physical aspect goes. Honestly, I'm hoping you'll retain some affection for me, since it'd make things easier..."

"So that's how it is, then..."

Afterwards, in the wake of another failure, Obito lies there deliriously tired as Kabuto makes to leave. For some reason, he stops suddenly, and Obito comes to realize it's because he grabbed Kabuto's hand. Kabuto doesn't turn to look at him, but Obito does end up face to face with the snake. It flicks its tongue at him and Obito fixes it with a tired glare.

"Do you want me to stay?" Kabuto asks, finally looking over his shoulder at him.

The question sends butterflies flitting about within Obito for some reason. He crushes them skillfully, yet still he says yes. It was a mistake, a slip of the tongue, but he catches a little smile as Kabuto sits back down, right before he turns his head away again, and he can't bring himself to say anything else.

It's been a while since he's fallen asleep with someone else present.

Affection, huh?

* * *

The sixth attempt starts by pure chance. Obito happens upon Kabuto collecting a corpse in the middle of the night and approaches him.

"I'm not really feeling up to it..." he mutters. He makes a quick cut on his hand and beckons Obito forward. "Hold out your hand."

Somehow, Obito doesn't expect the quick nip on his wrist, having gotten used to being bitten on the neck. It makes him wonder why they do it that way when this way seems much easier. As soon as Obito starts hissing through his teeth over the venom, Kabuto lets his blood drip onto Obito's cut.

"Can't stay to watch this time. Take care getting home," Kabuto says. Obito doesn't see or hear him leave, but he's gone once Obito has gotten a hold of himself.

Why does he feel like something is missing?

* * *

"I have a request this time."

Kabuto tilts his head, vaguely surprised.

The fact is, Obito was clumsy earlier that day and already has an open wound. It's not major, but it was bleeding enough that he had to bandage it.

"I... wanted to see if..."

Obito clears his throat. It's not like him to get all coy-- he's usually so assured when he talks, no matter what he's saying. Internally, he smacks some sense into himself, ignoring that this is Kabuto he's talking to.

"The venom doesn't have to get directly into my blood, yes? It just has to enter my system somehow?" he asks. He doesn't know what reaction he was expecting, but Kabuto narrows his eyes at him.

"What exactly are you thinking..?"

How could someone as sharp as Kabuto not catch on? Kabuto, who always somehow immediately knows everything, who has passively convinced Obito more than once that he's a mind reader of some kind. Yet he can't hazard a guess as to what Obito is getting at?

It's too much. He can't resist teasing him about it.

"Oh? Leave that brain of yours at home today? I'm honestly shocked you can't guess."

It's too bad he hasn't taken his mask off yet; Kabuto can't see his shit eating grin like this.

"I mean, unless you're proposing that we kiss. I just sort of assumed that couldn't possibly be it."

So he did get it after all. Now Obito is confused as to how Kabuto didn't immediately go for the throat in teasing him about it.

"What else could I be suggesting?"

A fading smirk remains on Obito's face when he takes his mask off.

"You're joking, right?"

Kabuto's tone is so flat that Obito starts to panic a little inside.

"What? The usual method hasn't been working. So sue me, I'd like to try something different. Anyway, I haven't heard an answer out of you," Obito says, though he's fully expecting a no by this point. Somehow, he'd been convinced that Kabuto's answer would be an easy yes, but he's thinking more clearly now.

"... I guess it's no more intimate than what we've been doing, if you think about it," Kabuto figures after a long pause. "But you won't like it, I can promise you that."

How could he claim to know that? It's not as if the pain or that odd freezing sensation will come as a surprise. And anyway, why is Kabuto reacting like this? He sounds bored at _best_. Obito can't help but feel a little frustrated.

No, it's more than a little.

Still, though, he's not about to back down now that he's been given the okay. He doesn't waste time in his approach, and somehow seems to catch Kabuto a little off guard. Maybe it's just instinct, but he takes a step back and seems to shrink away a little.

"What, were you expecting to initiate?" Obito taunts, some of that grin of his returning even while his feelings are all obnoxiously mixed up.

"If I'm honest, I wasn't expecting any of this. Just what do you hope this will accomplish?"

Rather than answer or allow Kabuto to go on forever with his questions, Obito shuts him up in a way he's... just now realizing he has never done before, with anyone. The realization causes him to falter, movements stuttering from quick and what he was considering efficient to something more... tender. Distractedly, Obito rolls with this slow pace, and it seems to bewilder Kabuto.

"Why are--"

With a hand to the back of Kabuto's neck, he takes advantage of his open mouth. The whole point was supposed to be the venom after all.

Oh fuck, that's right. Somehow, Obito completely forgot. He's lucky he remembered, as now he has time to brace for the pain...

Only, it doesn't come. Kabuto, shocked and pliant in his arms, makes the tiniest noise into his mouth. Obito pinches the back of his neck, hoping he'll remember, and Kabuto jolts slightly in response. He grabs either side of Obito's head to keep him in place, and Obito finds out that the venom tastes oddly sweet. If it makes any sense, it tastes like it should be heavy and sticky, though it's quite a thin liquid that probably just looks like water. It's not entirely appealing nor unappealing.

It doesn't hurt to come into contact with. Not at first, at least. The tingling sensation that feels like tiny popping in his mouth starts to grow unpleasant, and it feels rough going down his throat. Obito pulls away, ending the kiss while he's distracted by the odd sensations, just in time to undergo a coughing fit.

"Idiot... It'll hurt longer like that. You ought to go throw it up," Kabuto advises.

"Ngh, no, what if it works?" Obito growls through the pain, suppressing the coughing as best he can. His voice already sounds raw.

"As far as I'm aware, it's not any more likely to work like this. You're a pretty impatient guy, aren't you?"

Prematurely, as they don't even know whether he'll turn this time or not, Obito already finds himself thinking that this was worth it. Maybe it's his instinct telling him it'll work, or maybe it was the amusement of actually catching Kabuto off guard.

... How does he keep forgetting what he's supposed to be doing?! Obito quickly pulls his sleeve up and tries to unwrap the bandages around his elbow. It's not long before he gets impatient and starts tearing at them, all to reveal the scrape he got on some brush earlier.

"Looks unpleasant. I sure hope you cleaned that well," Kabuto says, clearly trying to regain his footing mentally, but Obito can tell he's still out of sorts. It even takes him two tries to nick his thumb on his fang enough to bleed.

Obito expects Kabuto to grab his arm and mix their blood together as usual. Instead, he finds a hand on his jaw and his mouth is held open as blood drips down his throat.

"Makes sense to do it the same way for both. Safer like that," Kabuto says.

The reaction is delayed again, but soon the blood has Obito's stomach doing flips. It's all he can do to remain standing, and all he can think is _"if only I had a distraction..."._

He yanks Kabuto forward by his wrists into another kiss, teeth clicking together unpleasantly with the sudden force. He focuses his entire mind on Kabuto's reaction: the confused little noise he makes, the way a hand flies to Obito's shoulder, the way he seems to fight with himself until that hand relaxes and he hesitantly returns the kiss.

It doesn't take the pain away, but it sure does balance the agony with some joy. He can't lie to himself right now, can't pretend this is all to get a rise out of Kabuto, or purely in the name of efficiency, or whatever other excuse he can come up with. He'll do it later.

Kabuto seems eager to reach that "later". As soon as Obito's grip loosens enough for him to pull away, he's gone. He doesn't even help Obito to bed like he usually does. Why is that, anyway? What does he care where Obito ends up passing out?

It does hurt for much longer than usual, and Obito wishes he'd fall unconscious, but no. He sits there on his knees all alone, keening in pain as his body tries to destroy itself. Eventually, it starts fading into waves, and then it's finally gone, leaving him panting on his hands and knees, looking like he just ran fifty miles straight from some monster out for his life. He has the sweat to "prove" it, too.

Much too tired to make it to bed, he tries his best to lie himself down on the floor as gently as possible. He still ends up in an uncomfortable position, knowing he'll wake up sore and with a limb or two still asleep, but he just doesn't have the energy to move any more than that.

* * *

After two whole weeks, Obito still doesn't see Kabuto. Sometimes he drops by for no reason, when he knows Obito hasn't recovered enough to try again. He could be busy, maybe, but it's too much of a coincidence that he'd disappear without a word for so long immediately after what happened last time.

What'll happen when they do see each other again? Will Kabuto act like nothing happened and force Obito to play along? Or will they perhaps never see each other again? Obito remembers what Kabuto said about the venom's withdrawal and starts thinking he should be worried.

Something urges him to visit the cave where he met Madara, and he goes there fully expecting to see Kabuto there somehow, thinking his instincts must have drawn him there for that reason, but the place is as empty as ever. He stays for a while just to soak in nostalgia, and to leave a note for Zetsu. He doesn't tend to be far, but Obito doesn't presently feel up to holding a conversation.

Zetsu already knows about Kabuto, of course, and all that the note entails is a request to find him. If Kabuto won't come to Obito, he'll just have to track him down.

Turns out, it isn't hard. Zetsu gets back to him the very next day with Kabuto's location. When he approaches the little cliffside alcove, Kabuto doesn't even react.

"What happened to you wanting me to "fall all over you"? How, pray tell, am I meant to do that with you hiding from me?"

Obito sounds more annoyed than he is. Really, he's just a bit worried.

"Oh... has it been long enough already..?"

Kabuto's voice is oddly quiet.

"Carelessness, then. And here I thought you were trying to make me withdraw."

"No... I hadn't thought about that. You should still be good for a while."

How is he still out of sorts after more than two weeks..? It was just a kiss. Well, a few kisses. There must be something else going on with coincidental timing, right?

"Mind topping me off while I'm here? You don't have to make an attempt to convert me if you're not feeling up to it," Obito offers, seeing as there's almost no way Kabuto would agree right now. "It'll save me some pain, anyway."

"Which... method?" he asks, finally looking up at Obito from where he sits.

"Your choice. I personally don't mind either way. Although..." Obito takes some time to try to read Kabuto's face, and then to pull his mask off. "Maybe I do have a preference. Then again, I suppose you'd like to feed, wouldn't you?"

"I haven't been eating much. If you kiss me again, I might not be able to resist biting your tongue."

There's a little of his usual snark. He seems to be perking up a bit-- the snake that had been lying motionless across Kabuto's lap lifts its curious head to stare at Obito now. Wouldn't it be a hoot if that were a mood indicator for him?

"Do you have trouble containing yourself, Kabuto?" Obito goads, but with no venom. "It makes me wonder..."

"I don't, but do go on."

Almost instantaneously, Obito crouches down to be level with Kabuto and then pushes him back onto the ground, moving forward with him to box him in.

"It makes me wonder what you'd do in a situation like this, is all," he says. He still can't get a read on Kabuto, can't tell if he's overstepping a huge boundary, but this seems to be the one subject he can't be blunt about.

He doesn't get a verbal answer. What he gets is two eager arms wrapped around his neck and a mouth on his own. Just for a moment, Obito pulls away.

"Don't use it yet," he murmurs.

Before he can tell what's happening, his back hits the ground and Kabuto appears to be worked up into a frenzy all of a sudden.

"Why..?" Kabuto pants, eyes a little crazed. "Aren't we just using each other? Why is this necessary?"

Necessary? Does it have to be necessary?

"Call it a mutually beneficial relationship. We're meant to be allies, aren't we?"

"But what happens when you turn? What happens when we don't have an excuse anymore? When you don't crave the venom? When I don't crave your blood?"

"That's too many questions for me to answer all at once. I didn't realize you stressed the little things so much."

Obito supposes Kabuto disappeared in order to put distance between the two of them. It seems he's scared of getting attached, or that he thinks Obito will turn on him once he's finally converted. Honestly, Obito still isn't sure what he plans to do with Kabuto once he's become a vampire.

Then again, why isn't Obito scared of getting attached too? He's loved and lost before, and it destroyed him utterly. He can admit that he likes Kabuto, but the thought of genuinely loving him should put him off, shouldn't it?

Maybe it's the venom addiction. Or, it could just be that enough years have passed for that wound to begin to heal. Obito never thought it possible...

Then again, Kabuto does serve as an excellent distraction. Whenever he's around, Obito feels the need to stay on his toes, and he's certainly unable to think through the excruciating pain that comes with the conversion attempts. Until just now, Obito had never once thought about Rin in Kabuto's presence.

A flash of her smile assails Obito's mind, overlapping with Kabuto's face before him, and just for a moment... Just for a moment, he can't tell the difference. It doesn't make any sense. They're nothing alike!

"What? Why do you look shocked now? Delayed reaction? You know, I've been on top of you for a good few seconds now..."

"... Always with the questions. Will this shut you up?"

This time, when he kisses him, Obito purposely nicks his tongue on Kabuto's fang. Kabuto immediately latches onto him, pressing himself closer until he's practically smothering Obito. It seems he really hasn't been feeding.

"It's not enough," Kabuto whispers breathlessly. He doesn't give Obito any time to respond before he's already sinking his teeth into his neck.

Just like always, it hurts much more than he expects it to. Obito raises his hand, barely off the ground before he hears the snake hiss at him. He falters then, letting it fall back to the ground. It's odd, though, that he isn't feeling the venom...

Shit, he told Kabuto not to use it earlier, didn't he?

"You may as well do it now," Obito grits out, bracing for more pain. The simple bite is nothing in comparison.

Though his face is still buried in Obito's neck, he pulls his fangs out, just hovering over the wound.

"Do..?"

"The venom, Kabuto!"

"Ah. I thought you said you had a preference?"

"Absolutely not. You've already bitten me, just do it that way."

"I'm only repeating what you yourself said." When he pulls away enough for Obito to see his face, he's got a smug little smile. "Besides, could it really be that much worse?"

"It's... different. When it enters through the blood, at least it feels like an injury. Orally, it just feels like I really am dying."

"Then what was with that line about having a preference?"

"Oh my god, it was an excuse to kiss you, alright? For a genius, you sure are an idiot."

"You didn't think even for a second that I just wanted you to admit that?"

Judging by the fact that Kabuto only looks even more smug now, Obito has no choice but to accept that he got him.

"Genius, huh?" Kabuto says, latching onto that throwaway word. "I like to think a person's true self comes out when they're in pain. I guess that's what you really think of me, then."

"I also called you an idiot, idiot," Obito reminds him.

"Yes, but you said genius first."

"Nitpicking little bastard."

At the very least, it seems like Kabuto has shaken off whatever had him down.

He gives him a little nip this time, and that cold feeling starts creeping up on Obito. It's oddly subdued, though...

"Why... doesn't it hurt as much?" Obito asks, frankly shocked by his ability to speak with a level voice this time around. It's never possible with the venom freshly in his system.

"I only gave you a little," Kabuto answers without pulling back. "Just to stave off withdrawal. It's not enough to affect conversion, but you gave me the option not to do that this time."

What is he still doing with his face against Obito's neck? The venom shouldn't be distracting him enough that he can't feel him feeding, especially given the smaller dosage. He's just sitting there.

But then Obito's whole body tenses up when he feels a soft little kiss over the second bite. It's his first truly meaningless action, one that can't be excused or explained away. Kabuto just did it because he wanted to. Obito doesn't know how to feel about it.

"Surely you can get home by yourself," Kabuto says, finally getting up and off of Obito.

"Just going to bite me and send me home, all by myself? Not the most courteous vampire around."

"That's not true. I gave you a parting gift and everything."

A parting gift? That's what he's calling it?

"Not much of a gift. I hardly felt it."

Obito doesn't know why he keeps talking.

"Oh? I'm sorry, did you want more?" Kabuto's tone is so taunting, so god damn smug.

But he's right.

"It's possible I want more than you're even willing to offer."

Right as Obito says that, it occurs to him that he hasn't wanted anything arbitrary like this for himself in a long time. He let Madara's dream dominate his mind, so much so that nothing else could break through. Leave it to Kabuto to find the slightest crack and slither on through.

"And how can you gauge how much I'm willing to offer?"

"Given how wishy-washy you've been..."

Kabuto frowns now.

"I just don't..." He pauses and sighs. "I couldn't possibly have expected things to go this way. You'll forgive me if I'm a bit out of my element."

"If we're asking for forgiveness, I'll need some too," Obito says as he puts his mask back on. "I'm planning to take you a lot further out of your element. Don't go running off next time."

He leaves him with that. The pain has already faded, and he isn't particularly drained of energy for once, so getting home should be easy.

Funny how Kabuto follows him for a little while just in case.

* * *

It's probably not the first time Kabuto has shown up to watch him sleep; it just so happens that Obito is still awake to realize it. He doesn't know what to expect, but he feigns sleep while preparing to rise at a moment's notice.

A quiet sigh, and Kabuto pulls himself through the window and closes it behind him. Obito only hears these things because he's straining to do so, consciously listening for it. He wonders how much Kabuto gets away with when he's not paying attention.

He feels a bit vulnerable, being caught unexpectedly with his mask off. But his back is facing Kabuto, and it's not like he hasn't seen his face before anyway.

He almost reacts, almost opens his eyes, when Kabuto rolls him onto his back. He expects more movement to follow, but the hand just slowly retreats from his shoulder. Obito can't detect anything but complete silence for a long time. Then, he hears the tiniest gasp, a lot closer to his face than he would have expected. It's followed by a good-natured little chuckle.

"You're awake, aren't you?" Kabuto asks him.

"Well, of course," Obito answers without opening his eyes. "Why? Hungry again already?"

It's only been four days since they last met, after all.

"Oh? Did you think I was subsisting off of your blood alone? You'd be dead by now if I were biting you often enough for that."

"Then to what do I owe this visit, if not to serve as a midnight snack?"

He opens his eyes now. He almost sits up, but he's stunned into stillness by the sight of Kabuto. He's leaning on the edge of the bed with a hand on his cheek to support his head, looking very much like a teenage girl at a slumber party, ready for gossip. He can't help it-- a genuine laugh escapes him.

"What? What's so funny?"

"No, no questions out of you," Obito says, grabbing Kabuto's face in his hand, just to see. "You'll have to answer mine first."

He squeezes his cheeks a little and Kabuto glares at him. He's forced to look like he's pouting.

"Oh, is that how it is?"

"You have a flagrant disregard for rules, there, Kabuto."

For a split second, Kabuto looks confused, and then slightly surprised.

"... That one was an accident..."

When Obito laughs this time, he inadvertently gets Kabuto to join him, however reserved he is about it. The thought occurs to Obito that he feels like a kid again, and it causes a brief panic within him.

"To answer your question, though, I guess I... just wanted to see you," Kabuto answers honestly, successfully distracting Obito from his own thoughts.

"You admit it and everything. Incredible."

"What, do I seem like I have a tendency to hide things..?"

Judging by the lilt denoting unfiltered mischief, he knows damn well he does.

By a whim, Obito suddenly grabs Kabuto and pulls him up onto the bed, ending up entangled with him during his effort. The snake bumps its head on Obito's knee and hisses at him.

"What's this about?" Kabuto asks, disappointingly calm. Obito had been hoping to fluster him at least a little bit.

"What were your words, again? "No more intimate than what we've been doing"?" Obito mocks before stealing a kiss. He's quick about it, and it's what finally gets Kabuto to falter.

"How are you so casual about this?" he asks, looking away in a manner more annoyed than timid.

It's probably the nihilism, Obito wants to say. It's easy to do whatever you want when you're convinced nothing in this hell of a world matters. He's not sure how to explain that to Kabuto without sounding like a lunatic, however.

"Hm... I suppose the romantic thing to say here would be "you make it easy"... or something like that."

_That's_ what gets a full, actual laugh from Kabuto. It takes Obito a while to realize that he's got some soft, dopey look on his face, brought about by the sound of Kabuto's laughter. Hopefully he managed to correct it before Kabuto noticed.

"So we're getting into romance now, are we? Our relationship sure has evolved. I promise I'll try to act surprised if you just so happen to have a candlelit dinner prepared next time I visit."

"If you want something, it's fine to ask directly, Kabuto. Besides, who has ever heard of the human being the one to romance the vampire? Do your share of the work, too."

"Oh, but maybe I did start this. Maybe it was my secret plan to seduce you all along."

Judging by Kabuto's reactions toward even the mere implications of Obito being interested in him, there's very clearly no chance that he planned for things to go this way.

"And I can't believe I fell for it," Obito pretends to lament regardless. "Smitten by some needy, spindly vampire..."

"What? Why "spindly"?"

"Not going to contest the "needy" part, then?"

Kabuto scoffs, but he can't hide his smile.

"If I were so needy, I'd be here to bite you after all," he disputes, though he's sounding very much like he's considering doing it anyway.

He climbs further onto Obito, gently pushing him onto his back, and leans down.

"Like this..."

Then, in an instant, Obito rolls them over and pins Kabuto's arms. He leans down until he's imitating the position Kabuto was just in.

"Or maybe I ought to bite you back," he says.

Kabuto tilts his head back-- an amused invitation.

"Go ahead," he encourages, not intimidated in the slightest.

He looms ever closer until his lips touch Kabuto's skin. He jolts harshly when Obito just gives him a kiss there.

"That... that wasn't what--"

His hands have come flying up to Obito's head to push him away and his face has gone red in an instant.

"What? I'm just getting you back for the other day."

One hand is on Obito's forehead, forcing his head back, and the other is loosely vertically covering his mouth. It seems it was an instinctual reaction, because he's pretty quick to let go and allow his arms to fall to the bed.

"I... guess it's only fair," Kabuto admits. "If you want to play with me so bad, go ahead, I'm willing to let you. It's just that I'm not exactly used to this kind of attention."

"Just a reflex to push me away, then... I'll have to remember that."

Though he expects it by now, a hand immediately comes up to his chest when he catches Kabuto in a kiss. It relaxes almost instantly, the slightest force turning into nothing, and then he feels himself being pulled closer by his collar.

"Clingy, too," Obito belatedly adds to his description from earlier.

"Needy and clingy... I'm sorry, are you sleeping with some other vampire and getting us confused?"

There's a deafening silence.

"Sleeping?" Obito repeats, showing Kabuto exactly where he fucked up. "Is that what you want? For us to sleep together?"

"I didn't-- I wasn't thinking..."

"Odd, you're always thinking. What happened to that brilliant mind of yours? Does it melt out of your ears in my presence, is that it?"

"I'm surprised you don't see it all over the sheets, in that case," Kabuto snarks back.

"You're really not going to deny any of what I'm saying," Obito says, more just a realization than a question.

"Oh, that I'm swooning over you at every given moment and want nothing more than for you to ravage me? Honestly, if we were standing right now, I'd surely fall into your arms."

"Your sarcasm is very obvious but I'm going to choose to hear only your words."

"Now, hold on..."

"Anyway, what was that about ravaging?"

He suddenly places his teeth on Kabuto's neck just to startle him, and it works. He practically jumps out of his skin at the sudden movement, legs coming up to squeeze at Obito's sides. Obito jumps too when he feels something stab him in the calf.

"... Oh, shit," Kabuto whispers.

When Obito looks back, he sees the snake retreating from his leg. It didn't cause as much damage as it could have, seeing as he doesn't typically dress down very much for bed, but it does definitely hurt like a bitch anyway.

"I see I shouldn't treat startling you as so much of a game," Obito ascertains-- though, he should have known it was a bad idea to begin with, what with Kabuto being a very powerful vampire and all.

"Ugh. I'm not even sure whether or not to apologize," Kabuto sighs. The snake comes up to slither under the pillows at the head of the bed and disappears somewhere under them. It probably won't be able to lash out as easily there, Obito supposes.

Before they become an issue, Obito carefully removes the glasses from Kabuto's face and sets them on the nightstand. His eyes are especially snakelike, but Obito recalls Kabuto looking nothing like this before Orochimaru's death. He didn't exactly pay him any mind back then, however.

He sort of wishes he'd had the chance to admire Kabuto's eyes before he went and changed himself into his late master's image. The scales keep his touch feeling cool, but they make for an odd and inconsistent texture-- smooth in some places either because of an abundance of skin or scales, but awkward and craggy in places where his body can't seem to decide what it wants.

Kabuto is the one who initiates a kiss this time, not quite patient enough to wait for Obito to be done admiring his appearance. Just for the sake of getting him a step closer to granting Kabuto's little wish, he gets his hand in the way of the zipper of Kabuto's silly snake robe and drags it down, running his fingers across the skin as it's being exposed. He pauses when he reaches his navel-- understandably so.

"Huh. I didn't expect it to come from the front," Obito comments, having found the base of the snake.

"I use it like a tail, but I guess it doesn't really count," Kabuto says. "By the way... have you not taken your scent suppressant today? I didn't even have to get close to smell you this time."

"... Ah. I must have forgotten to put it on after my shower..."

"That's no good. What if I were a predator?"

"With how often you bite me, I'd say you technically classify as one anyway," Obito reminds him, but Kabuto just laughs.

"And I thought you were going to bite me back?"

"After that little stunt your snake pulled, I guess I'd better. Cycle of revenge and all that."

"Oh? Doesn't that mean it'll be my turn again afterwards?"

"Absolutely not. Not tonight, anyway."

"Well, I know not tonight. I'm not trying to kill you..."

During all their banter, Obito has been inching closer, resuming his position so slowly he thinks Kabuto might not even notice, but he swallows once Obito is close enough that he must be able to feel his breath on his skin.

"I'll do it, but you'll have to guess when," he says, still a little too playful.

"... Hey, I thought you were over that?"

"Well, now that you've put the snake away, it shouldn't be an issue. The game has changed."

"Game, huh..."

He flinches slightly when Obito gives him another kiss on the neck, but he doesn't move to push him away this time.

"Now, you know I don't mean it like that," he assures him. It was a stupid thing to say, now that he's remembering Kabuto's initial misgivings.

"Oh, I know. It's just annoying that you've decided to make a game of getting me out of my element... then again, I suppose I brought this upon myself by visiting you. You did make a promise last time," Kabuto recalls, seemingly too late.

"Ah, thank you for reminding me. I'd actually completely forgotten."

Kabuto sighs, turning his head to the side.

"Whose mind melts around whom, again?" he teases, even as he's baring his throat for Obito.

Nevermind the taunt, though. Obito would rather busy himself thinking of ways to further catch Kabuto off guard. First, though, he sits up to take his shirt off, taking note of the way Kabuto's eyes conveniently come wandering back to him. If asked, he'd probably feign curiosity, seeing as the damage done to the right side of his face extends to the rest of that side of his body.

Maybe that would explain his staring... or maybe it really wouldn't. He's been shirtless for nearly every conversion attempt so far, after all, so the sight of his scarring is nothing new. Kabuto hasn't said a word, yet still Obito is unconvinced of an excuse he hasn't given.

"I guess... we've both got unusual circumstances," Kabuto says. He sounds genuine enough that Obito considers that he may have actually been wrong.

"I would say _I_ didn't choose to do this to myself, but I just realized that'd be a lie," Obito muses.

"They're scars, right?" Kabuto accurately surmises-- not that it's hard. "Must have been after something pretty important to willingly put yourself in harm's way."

Obito would rather not think about it. As punishment for probing, Obito finally gives him that bite. Kabuto tenses, even makes a surprised little noise, but Obito doesn't bite hard enough to draw blood. There'd be no point.

"Alright, I get it. I won't ask. But I thought you were getting revenge on me? A weak little nip like that is nothing."

"Oh? I'm sorry, Kabuto, did you want me to handle you roughly?"

"... If you think you're capable of it," Kabuto goads.

At some point, the snake must have freed itself from the pillows, because Obito feels it constricting around his calf-- the same one it had bitten earlier. When he glances over his shoulder, it's nuzzling near the tiny punctures as if to say it didn't mean it. Kabuto's own affection for Obito must have rubbed off on it... Well, it does seem to be an extension of him.

Trusting the snake not to bite him again, Obito ignores it in favor of pushing Kabuto's robe further open. He runs his hands up Kabuto's chest, rubbing against the grain to see how scratchy the intermittent scales are. Really, they're mostly smooth, but there are places where his hand catches for just a moment.

"... It's weird after all," Kabuto mutters.

Obito starts, automatically assuming he's somehow giving off the impression of finding Kabuto's body unpleasant. It's definitely unusual, but it's not like he has a problem with it...

"Oh, not you," Kabuto says when he notices Obito's expression. "I'm just not used to being touched. It's probably weirder for me now than it would have been before I became like this, too."

"You can say it's weird all you want. More importantly, do you like it?" Obito asks.

Kabuto blinks slowly.

"Not sure yet. You should probably keep going so I can find out," he says. "And get back down here."

As soon as Obito lowers himself, an arm is hooked around the back of his head and he's tugged into a kiss. For a second, something overtakes Obito and this stops being a game to him. He cups the side of Kabuto's face, his thumb gentle as can be as it brushes his cheek, and he feels wholeheartedly like he's holding something precious.

His heart aches.

The reason why Uchihas feel such fathomless hatred is because their love is just as strong. For an Uchiha to love more than once, to recover from that hatred, is unheard of.

It's extremely far fetched, but when Obito looks at Kabuto, he somehow feels like he's staring down the road to recovery. He feels like, even if he'd like this world to burn to the ground, he'd want to salvage Kabuto from the ashes, no matter how meaningless the action would be. Just to feel that annoying pang in his chest every time he hears the sound of Kabuto's voice, that stupid warmth that floods his mind when Obito has to hear his snarky remarks, that odd twitch of his fingers when he looks at Kabuto's face long enough to really _see_ him.

_"I want you falling all over me,"_ Kabuto had said once. Obito can safely say now that he's fallen like a motherfucker.

And it's now that he's accepted the foolish position he's somehow put himself in that he sees no point in remaining reserved. Without warning, he pins Kabuto's wrists to the bed and nips his lip, just to give him some of that rough treatment he'd promised. He places more of his weight on Kabuto, crowding in on him and refusing to pull away from the kiss for even a second. If Kabuto feels overwhelmed or like he's suffocating, he doesn't make any indication whatsoever that it bothers him.

Really, Obito himself is feeling overwhelmed. His realization tonight has caused his feelings to start mounting. When he was a child, he felt like Rin was his entire world. Obito thinks now that he might be looking at a universe, instead.

Obito releases one of Kabuto's wrists to keep touching him, memorizing the texture of the scales on his chest, his stomach, his side. When that hand wanders a little further down, Obito finds himself obsessed with the little noise Kabuto makes into his mouth. Even as he rubs at him, coaxing his cock awake, Kabuto keeps his free hand right where Obito left it.

It's the desire to see Kabuto's face that has Obito finally pulling back. He's so mesmerized by the sight and sound of him that he can't even be bothered to pay attention to himself, just steadily jerks him off and watches him lose himself. Kabuto tries to rein his reactions in, with his head turned and his eyes squeezed shut, lower lip bitten almost stubbornly as what should be open moans die as broken whines in his throat.

Though he's sacrificing the view of Kabuto's pretty face to do it, Obito dives back in to kiss at his neck. His pants turn to gasps as Obito pumps him faster, just one lost little whisper of "more" escaping him.

Kabuto starts clinging desperately to Obito, and Obito starts when a hand comes between them to grab at his cock. Obito grits his teeth, but he can't help his voice slipping into his breath. Just that much drives Kabuto crazy, leaving barely restrained bites all over Obito's jaw and neck. He doesn't stick around long enough on any of them to feed, so Obito just assumes he isn't bleeding.

When Kabuto comes, his head falls back into the pillow and his chest presses up off the bed, a long keen sounding in his throat, somehow staying suppressed even with Kabuto's mouth open enough that Obito can see those cute fangs. Obito replaces Kabuto's hand with his own and strokes the two of them together, listening for the quiet whimper of overstimulation that pushes him over the edge.

Kabuto finally relaxes and Obito stares like the sight sustains him. He looks almost like he's fallen asleep, until he barely opens his eyes to look up at Obito.

"I won't let you hold back next time," Obito warns him. Kabuto smiles, closing his eyes again.

"Manhandle me to your heart's content, Tobi."

Ah. That's the name Obito told Kabuto to call him. He usually foregoes using any names for Obito, so he'd completely forgotten. Though, it shouldn't really matter what name he uses.

Obito lies beside Kabuto, the size of the bed silently thwarting the attempt. Even after Kabuto caught his breath, he's made no attempt to move except to roll over onto his side when Obito nudged him so he could lay on his back.

"Are you staying?" Obito asks, seeing as Kabuto doesn't seem interested in getting out of bed. He doesn't answer for a moment, until he mumbles a "yes".

A few minutes later, Kabuto turns onto his other side to face Obito. He stares at Obito's chest, but doesn't look up at his face. After some apparent deliberating, he cuddles closer and rests his head gently on the center of Obito's chest.

"Hm?"

Kabuto doesn't answer him, and Obito lets him be. After only a few minutes, Kabuto's breathing evens out and he falls asleep. Obito stares for a little while longer until he can't keep his eyes open anymore.

* * *

Obito is surprised to wake up with a warm weight still on his chest. He finds that he'd quite literally tangled his fingers in Kabuto's hair in his sleep somehow and works carefully to pull them out without waking him. Even after Obito sneaks out of bed to take a shower and eat breakfast, Kabuto is still snoozing. It makes Obito wonder how vampires work, exactly. Unless Kabuto just likes to sleep in.

Speaking of Kabuto being inhuman, is it possible that he's cold blooded? If so, he'll probably be annoyed that he's lost his personal heat source. Obito imagines him waking up and grousing about how he's too cold to move and how it's all Obito's fault.

When he next walks in to check on him, Kabuto is propped up by an elbow and fitting his glasses back on his face.

"Late riser? I never would have thought," Obito comments.

"Hungry," he mumbles.

A question that might be stupid occurs to Obito, but he has to ask it anyway.

"Can... vampires eat more than just..?"

"Yes," Kabuto is quick to answer. "Why, are you making breakfast?"

"I already did, but I suppose I can go at it again."

"Anything supplemented with iron would be nice..."

Iron... what in his kitchen has iron in it? Eh. Meat is probably the best option. He has some salmon in the fridge, so it's what he starts preparing. It's when he pulls the seasonings out that he realizes he should probably ask Kabuto how he wants it cooked.

"How do you want it prepared?" he walks back into the room to ask, vaguely. Kabuto tilts his head and finally gets out of bed to get dressed and have a look.

"... Oh."

"What? Not what you were expecting?"

"Actually, I like seafood," Kabuto says. "You don't really have to cook for me, by the way. I'll do it."

Obito stands between him and the stove.

"How do you want it prepared?" he repeats.

Kabuto stares him down for a few moments before giving up with a tiny sigh and a tinier smile.

"Just with salt, please."

* * *

The two of them have become unexpectedly domestic. Kabuto visits often and stays over almost every night. Even when Obito stays up late and is sure Kabuto isn't going to show up, he wakes up with a snake coiled around his leg and a head either beside his shoulder or on top of his chest. That, or he's curled up against Obito's back.

He's there when Obito isn't home, too. There are times when he'll stumble into his room at 2 AM, completely exhausted, and the dim sight of Kabuto in his bed fills him with a vague warmth that gives him just enough energy to make it over to him.

Obito has never known what it was like, to have someone to come home to. He never expected that role to be fulfilled at all, much less by some snarky vampire who used to work for one of Obito's own underlings. Not that Sasori would stand for being called something like that.

"Waking up at any point today?" Obito asks him, sitting up against the wall with his arms crossed while Kabuto still lies beside him.

"No," he mumbles in response. "Lay back down."

"Why, so I can be your heater? I'm not encouraging you to sleep the day away."

"I'm supposed to. It's more useful to be awake during the day and I was used to it from before, so my sleep patterns are all fucked up now..."

"So vampires being nocturnal isn't a myth?"

He grumbles incoherently before offering an actual answer.

"Depends, I guess. Just like with humans."

It's no wonder Kabuto is a late riser despite it conflicting with his personality. Obito bets he used to be the first one out of bed, before he turned.

"If being awake during the day is more convenient, you'd better get up soon. It'll be noon before you know it," he says, seeing as it's already late in the morning.

Kabuto grabs at him to try to discourage him from getting up, but once Obito is out of reach, he finally rolls out of bed. He puts his glasses on for a moment, then takes them back off and produces a little cloth to clean them with. Obito leaves him to it while he finishes getting ready for the day.

A coded knock, three times slow and twice fast, lets him know Zetsu is at his door. Kabuto has learned the knock as well and comes out to see what Zetsu is planning to report-- or, well, Zetsu and Kabuto are the only visitors Obito gets anyway, so it's also possible Kabuto doesn't think anything of the knock.

"Stop being nosy," Obito tells him. "Go do your little vampire tasks."

"Did you forget that I used to be a spy? I still consider being nosy my job. Can't help it."

"Do I have to bribe you to make you go away?"

He opens the door just so he's not leaving Zetsu hanging, but he holds a hand up to him, indicating not to speak yet.

"Um..." Zetsu starts, and Obito dismissively assumes it was just his way of stopping himself.

"I'm interested to see what you think you can bribe me with," Kabuto says. "To make it interesting, how about we rule out your blood?"

"Taking away my only bargaining chip? That's low."

"Oh, was that all you were going to offer after all? How boring."

"Um," Zetsu repeats, grabbing both of their attention this time, "Kabuto sure is around often, and you said you guys are allies anyway, right? As long as it isn't a major report, I don't see why he has to leave..."

"He eavesdrops most of the time anyway," Zetsu's other half chimes in.

"Well, now! I never expected Zetsu to side with me."

"I'm not. You're annoying."

Obito pinches the bridge of his nose.

"I don't like the combination you two make either way. Kabuto, I promise to show you something interesting later, so just give us some privacy, alright?" Obito says, making a promise he isn't even sure he can keep. He'll have to think of something good or Kabuto will hassle him relentlessly.

"Something interesting, hm? I'm guessing you can't give me an example," he catches on, ever as an obnoxious mind reader.

"That would spoil the surprise," Obito bluffs. "I won't show you if you don't leave now."

Kabuto crosses his arms and tilts his head, considering it for a moment. Then he walks out the door and past Zetsu.

"I'll hold you to it, then," he says.

As soon as Kabuto has wandered out of sight, Obito sighs lightly.

"I suppose I've replaced one problem with another," he muses.

* * *

Obito was right to send Kabuto away before Zetsu's report. There's something embarrassing about the idea of Kabuto finding out that Obito still keeps tabs on Kakashi. Well, not that he'd know what kind of history they had.

Still, it's getting dark out and Obito still hasn't thought of anything to show Kabuto. He doesn't exactly have much to his name, and Kabuto has already seen him vulnerable as can be. He can't just offer his neck to shut him up, either, since Kabuto ruled out his blood. What a bother.

He was hoping he'd think of something in the shower, and that he'd be able to hide away in there until the last minute if Kabuto happened to show up during, but he's already half dressed and mostly dried off and still he has nothing. It's as his eyes unconsciously trace his scars in the mirror while he zones out that an idea finally occurs to him.

As it turns out, it came to him just in time. When Obito walks out of the bathroom, he finds Kabuto sitting idly at the table. He must not have heard him come in over the running water. On the downside, he doesn't have time to prepare anything; although, he already has both things he needs.

"There you are," Obito says, tearing Kabuto's attention away from a rules card he was staring at. "Get in here."

Kabuto rises, visibly confused. Obito grabs him by the shoulders and stands him in front of the mirror, stepping right behind him.

"What..? Why..."

Obito just grabs his jaw and makes him look at himself.

"I told you I'd show you something interesting," Obito says with enough confidence to make it seem like he actually planned this more than two minutes ago. "I have just the thing."

Kabuto seems to be having trouble meeting his own gaze.

"I'm not particularly interested in myself..." he says.

"Well, no, I didn't assume you were. Just trust me."

He rights Kabuto's head again and starts slipping his robe off of him. It's easy, and Kabuto rarely bothers wearing a shirt under it, so he's already halfway undressed by the time the robe pools on the floor at their feet.

"That's enough," Kabuto says, nervous and unsteady as he repeatedly makes and breaks eye contact with his own reflection. "I don't..."

"You don't want to see it? What I do to you?"

Obito presses closer and hears Kabuto hold his breath.

"You can feel it, sure. But being unable to see yourself leaves you with a certain lack of self-awareness. Don't you want to know exactly what I do to you?"

Kabuto's fingers curl around the edge of the sink.

"You do make a convincing argument," he begrudgingly admits. "I'm willing to try it once."

"Once is all it'll take," Obito says, pleased. "I'll break you if you'll let me."

He's more than close enough to feel the slight tremble his words send through Kabuto. Obito locks eyes with him in the mirror as he reaches down to the drawer to their left. Kabuto's eyes flick down as soon as he hears it open, and he manages to hide his reaction to the contents of it. Maybe the mirror has made him a little too self-conscious.

"So that's what you're getting at," Kabuto says, a light smile in his voice. "Honestly, I expected this that first night."

"Well, I had no reason to stock lube back then, so it wouldn't have been pleasant."

"Oh, so you got it just for me?"

Obito narrows his eyes at him.

"Why don't you go back to being scared? It was endearing," he says, though the quick return of his snark does bode well. If he were nervous the whole time, he might not even enjoy this.

"Scared? Of what? A mirror and _you?_ " Kabuto actually laughs. "Too much anticipation can result in a bit of anxiety--"

"Kabuto, if you'd like to give seminars, you should charge for them."

"... Alright, I get it," Kabuto sighs, though his smile doesn't fade. "Still."

Knowing he isn't actually nervous somewhat relieves Obito. He knows Kabuto has never done this before, given past context, and elects not to tease him about it.

"It won't hurt as much as you're thinking," he says instead-- bold, empty words of reassurance considering he can't possibly know that for sure, but he can try.

"I'm not worried about it," Kabuto says. "A little bit of pain won't scare me off. I promise."

More eager to fuck him than he's willing to let on, Obito slips a hand under Kabuto's pants, aborting the process of dragging them down after only a second or two just to take a moment to admire how disheveled Kabuto already looks. Annoyingly tender thoughts of gently brushing Kabuto's messy hair out with his fingers assault Obito and he shoves them away. For the moment, at least.

It doesn't take very long to coax him into a half-hard state, and Obito lets go of his cock with plans to ignore it until Kabuto starts begging. Kabuto finishes undressing himself, since Obito was content to stop partway through. His eyes cling almost desperately to the tube of lubricant when he hears Obito open it.

It's possible he's a little intimidated after all.

"Relax," Obito tells him, voice calm and reassuring. Kabuto scoffs.

"I thought I already told you I'm just anticipating it? You'd better not treat me like I'm made of glass."

"Or you'll what?" Obito asks, slouching to rest his chin on Kabuto's shoulder. He's gentle as can be when he presses a slick finger inside Kabuto, but he still flinches.

"Am I allowed to turn around?"

"No. I thought I'd made that clear."

"Then come a little closer to my face and I'll show you," he says, nudging Obito's head with his own.

"Oh, threatening to bite me? How typical of a vampire."

"What's the problem? You like it anyway."

Kabuto has allowed his eyes to wander to Obito. With his free hand, he grabs Kabuto's face to once again straighten him out and make him look forward. Kabuto has to watch the way his expression twitches when a second finger slips inside and escapes by closing his eyes.

"No, that's cheating," Obito says, lightly patting Kabuto's cheek. "Open your eyes."

Kabuto makes a disgruntled little noise, his expression matching it when he opens his eyes. He has to visibly resist squeezing them shut at the way Obito starts working him open. He starts fidgeting and having trouble looking at himself again.

"Hm... I guess I'm the only one entranced by this sight, then," Obito muses. He plans to ease up on Kabuto since he's finding this so difficult, but it's that comment that finally gets him to settle down, staring at his reflection like he's searching for what interests Obito so much.

"Is this... not just supposed to be torture?" Kabuto asks, sounding absolutely genuine. It actually surprises Obito.

"Kabuto, if I'd wanted to torture you, this wouldn't be what I thought of. I just thought you might be able to see what I see."

Kabuto grips the edge of the sink and closes his eyes when Obito drives his fingers in deeper. He's not about to make him look again, but Kabuto opens his eyes sooner than Obito expected and continues searching his own reflection.

"... I hear Uchihas have excellent eyes. Mine obviously don't work so well. Maybe there are sss... some things you can see that I... can't."

His breathing is starting to pick up now, and he rocks subtly back against Obito. One more finger gets added, and a quiet moan finally escapes him.

"I like that..." he murmurs, a pleasant little confession.

"And I like this," Obito says, taking Kabuto's face in his hand again. He's gentler this time, and he turns him to face Obito for a kiss.

Kabuto looks back at the mirror of his own volition, taking in the way you can still see just a little bit of fat even under the scales when Obito is squeezing his face like that. He doesn't tolerate it for long, though. When he lowers Obito's hand with his own, he lingers on it and interlaces their fingers on the counter.

"If only I showed up a bit earlier. I like taking your gloves off for you," he says, sliding his thumb up from Obito's wrist to the knuckle, mimicking how he usually takes the gloves off.

"Oh, you're full of confessions tonight. Have any more?"

"I'm sure I can come up with some. Not for free, though."

"What could you possibly charge me?"

Kabuto grabs Obito's other arm.

"You could speed things along," he says. "Then maybe I'll consider telling you more."

"If you want me to fuck you, you can just say so in plain language, Kabuto," Obito tells him. Kabuto huffs.

"Alright, I want you to fuck me. Now, does that count as another confession?"

"... No, that one's free."

Obito gets the breathiest little giggle right by his ear and ends up snapping his hips forward quicker than he wanted.

"Ah-h--"

Kabuto brings the hand that isn't holding Obito's up to his mouth, swallowing his voice. Obito forcibly holds still for a moment, mentally reprimanding himself. Yes, Kabuto is adorable, but Obito needs to restrain himself at least a little bit.

"You caught me by surprise is all," Kabuto says after a few seconds. "Please move."

It was easier when he was just holding still. Trying to maintain a merciful pace is killing him. It takes all his focus, and he realizes maybe a minute too late that he's been digging his fingertips into Kabuto's hips. He lets up when he notices it, and slides his hands up to his waist instead.

"Obito..." Kabuto addresses, looking over his shoulder to meet his eyes directly. "I need more than that."

He doesn't seem nearly as riled up as before, so Obito surmises that he's right.

"Don't regret it," Obito warns him.

A harsh thrust earns him a darling gasp and it isn't long before Kabuto starts struggling to remain coherent. His begging for "harder", "faster", comes curt and breathless, taking a few attempts to get the words out each time.

A slight change in angle and Kabuto just about screams, slapping a hand over his mouth partway through.

"Oh my god," comes a shaky whisper from him, his voice slipping through loose fingers.

"Had I really not found it yet? You sure are sensitive," Obito teases directly into Kabuto's ear, no matter how glad he is about it.

"Just... just keep..."

He quickly loses interest in finishing his sentence in favor of settling into Obito's rhythm, perfectly pushing back against each roll of his hips.

"I really like this..." he says, breathless.

"It's adorable how you keep saying that." Not to mention unreasonably fucking hot for some reason. Obito can hear the strain in his own voice, and he feels like he's clawing at the walls of a cage. He can't figure out how to get out of it, but sinking his teeth into Kabuto's shoulder hard enough to hurt but not to break skin seems to assuage the feeling.

Suddenly, the light goes out and Obito is startled into stilling. It's nearly pitch black in the room now and his eyes haven't adjusted, but a moment passes and he can barely see Kabuto moving his hand from the light switch to set it on the counter again.

"Can we... move this to the bed..?" he pants, clearly overwhelmed.

It only takes about ten seconds before they're close enough for Obito to shove Kabuto onto the bed. He grabs blindly for Kabuto's glasses and sets them unintentionally roughly on the nightstand.

"I was already--"

He was probably about to either complain or throw his usual sarcasm around, but Obito cuts him off by pushing him down by the nape of his neck and pressing into him again.

"Oh my god, this is so much better," Kabuto whines, muffled by the pillow.

He can fuck him harder now, without having to worry about driving him into anything hard or his legs buckling under him. Kabuto is very vocal about his appreciation, moaning wordlessly like he can't think enough to form a sentence anymore. The thought of that and the sound of him has Obito digging short nails into Kabuto's waist.

His noises start changing, sounding like they're crawling over to wherever language is stored in Kabuto's brain, in an attempt to form actual words for the first time in several minutes.

"Be rough with me..." he breathes, clinging to the sheets like he'll die if he lets go.

Obito starts to lose his mind. He can't help but think it'd be nice if he could just stay lost with Kabuto until the day he dies. He thinks he doesn't ever want to be apart from him again.

"I love you," he tells Kabuto, and he doesn't even have the mind to regret it.

He can't read Kabuto's reaction to it, if he had one at all, but he doesn't care. Obito just keeps saying it over and over until he forgets what it means.

"Get-- get down--" Kabuto stammers, blindly grabbing upwards until he happens upon Obito's arm and yanks him down. "I want you close to me..."

With a hand on Kabuto's shoulder, Obito turns him over so quickly and carelessly that he just about flings him off the bed. He drags him back from the edge and pulls his legs up, resting his hands under Kabuto's knees. When he eases into him again, he feels like the cage door has opened. Then, like he's running for freedom, he crashes down into Kabuto for a kiss that's more desperate than he's willing to admit.

It'd be nice if Kabuto were the only one severely affected and Obito could keep his cool. That's probably how it would go for the real Madara. Unfortunately, as a fake, Obito feels like he might've been driven into an even heavier tizzy than Kabuto.

He refuses to pull away from the kiss, even when Kabuto whines into his mouth from the combined assault of a rough fucking and the hand on his cock that Obito is only vaguely aware of. His vision tunnels and he starts losing track of his own body, too focused on memorizing every detail of Kabuto's. It's when he's finally emptying his seed into him that Obito breaks the kiss and realizes that he is in dire, tingling need for air.

Breathing heavier than any of his near death experiences, Obito pulls out and collapses, half beside Kabuto and half on top of him. The small size of the bed threatens to drop him to the floor and he feels the snake pushing the flat of its head against his back to support him.

Honestly, he should have invested in a bigger bed as soon as Kabuto started staying over. Kabuto seemed dazed for a while there, but he finally takes notice of Obito and moves over as much as he can. It isn't much, but Obito repositions and holds Kabuto close.

"I think I love you too," Kabuto says quietly. "I guess I don't really know the difference."

Ah. Lucky boy, having never fallen in love before. What with him being a spy, he probably would've ended up in a tragic situation if he'd fallen in love at any point. At least Obito's tragedy wasn't predictable from the start-- or maybe that makes it worse...

"Love is..." Obito looks away from Kabuto, struggling to find the right words. It's embarrassing for someone like him to be laying here trying to explain what love is anyway, but he supposes he can try.

"I mean, I understand affection, but..."

"It's different," Obito says. "It's like... if every time you looked at the sky, a new constellation formed. Like if just seeing those stars filled you with, uh..."

"What are you talking about?" Kabuto laughs. "Stars? What?"

"I was trying to think of something beautiful, I don't know."

Love is when Obito can't even be annoyed that Kabuto is laughing at him, because the sound of his laughter invigorates him. It gives him these fleeting, almost imperceptible thoughts of "this is all that matters". But he's embarrassed himself enough already and doesn't trust himself to explain that properly.

"It's something beautiful then, huh?" Kabuto gathers. "Well, I do find myself oddly attached to you. I guess I can just say I love you."

That's hardly a satisfying answer. Maybe Obito shouldn't be so quick to give up after all...

"Hey, if something happened to me, what would you do? How do you think you would feel?" Obito asks him.

"Hm. That depends. What are the circumstances? "Something" is too vague. Are you injured? Dead? Have you been captured and tortured, maybe?"

Always with the questions.

"Let's just say you don't know. Let's say I went missing one day and you didn't know why, and no matter how long you waited, I wasn't coming back."

A slight frown finds its way onto Kabuto's face and he looks away.

"I would be devastated," he says with surprising ease.

"That's a strong word. Are you sure you don't know whether or not you love me?"

Kabuto shakes his head.

"I just know I can't stand being abandoned. It's not really out of concern for you."

"So that's what it is..."

Now he's wondering what was going through Kabuto's mind when he turned himself. He originally thought Kabuto just figured he'd take Orochimaru's power for himself now that he's not using it anymore, but he probably had ample opportunity to do something like that while Orochimaru was alive, being so close to him. Maybe having some of Orochimaru's blood in his veins makes Kabuto feel a little less alone.

"You're unexpectedly sentimental, I think," Kabuto says.

"And you're rather lonely, aren't you?" Obito quips back.

"... Well, I have you to keep me company, don't I?"

"It isn't a matter of company. Being next to just anyone isn't going to ease true loneliness."

Kabuto looks a little confused, or maybe distressed.

"Then why... oh, I think I've just figured it out," he says, earning a tilt of the head from Obito. "Love is when it finally feels like that void is filling up, isn't it?"

He hit the nail on the head so hard that it's scary. Obito was stubborn about his lost love and convinced himself that nothing could ever heal his heart. He was so convinced of it that he himself ended up making it impossible, blocking the hole off without even thinking about trying to repair it. Of course it took someone like Kabuto to sneak past his barriers.

"I guess it is," he answers.

* * *

The next conversion attempt is a few days later, and only because Obito suddenly remembered that was the reason why they started seeing each other in the first place.

"Before we start, though, I have a question," Obito says with a hand on Kabuto's collarbone to keep him far enough that he can't bite him yet.

"I figured I'd already covered everything about the process by now. What is it?"

"Oh, it's completely unrelated. I was just wondering which of us fell in love first."

It's not so affronting a thing to say, but there is absolutely an unspoken air of competition to the question. Obito would certainly like to hear Kabuto admit that he fell first, and he can't think of any reason why Kabuto wouldn't be hoping for the opposite.

"It has to be you, right? You're the one who's so certain," Kabuto figures.

"Excuse me? I didn't suspect I had any feelings for you back when you said the "falling all over you" line."

"That again? Look, maybe my wording was a little iffy."

"Sounds like an excuse to me."

Kabuto frowns and tries to dive in closer, but Obito still has a firm hand stopping him.

"Are we doing this or not?" he asks, voice calm but expression a little annoyed.

"Once we figure out the answer to my question, sure," Obito says. "Of course, you could always just admit you fell in love first..."

"But I don't even know that that's true," Kabuto argues. "I didn't even think about it until you started advancing on me. Finding excuses to kiss me out of the blue like that..."

Obito does recall Kabuto expressing little other than surprise and confusion when he started showing interest in him. Well, fuck. Maybe Obito did fall first.

"... Fine, I guess I have my answer," he sighs sharply.

"Not the one you wanted, is it?"

Obito almost continues holding him away just out of spite, but he relaxes his hand and lets Kabuto approach his neck, feeling that smarmy smirk against his skin. He gives him a kiss first, lets a stupid little flower bloom in his stupid little heart, and then it's starting to wilt from the pain of the bite, followed disastrously as always by the venom, and then further by foreign blood trying to take over.

When the pain dulls and eventually disappears, leaving Obito sapped of energy in the wake of another failure, Kabuto sighs, brow furrowed.

"I don't know why it isn't working. It shouldn't be taking this many attempts... I've watched O+s be converted before..."

Obito yanks him forward and presses his lips to his neck. This earns him a quiet intake of breath that Kabuto holds for a second, but Obito isn't about to bite him back.

"Even if I'm not a vampire... in the meantime, I have you," he says, barely above a whisper.


End file.
